List of disasters by cost
Disasters can have high costs associated with responding to and recovering from them. This page lists the estimated economic costs of relatively recent disasters.
The costs of disasters vary considerably depending on a range of factors, such as the geographical location where they occur. When a large disaster occurs in a wealthy country, the financial damage may be large, but when a comparable disaster occurs in a poorer country, the actual financial damage may appear to be relatively small. This is in part due to the difficulty of measuring the financial damage in areas that lack insurance. For example, the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, with a death toll of over 230,000 people, cost a 'mere' $15 billion,[1] whereas in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, in which 11 people died, the damages were six-fold.
List
Note: All damage figures are listed in billions of United States dollars.
Cost ($billions) | Fatalities | Event | Type | Year | Nation | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
(2017-2018)[2] | ||||||
$360[3] | $411.3 | 15899 | 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami | Earthquake, Tsunami | 2011 | |
$197[4] | $329.8 | 5502 – 6434 | Great Hanshin earthquake | Earthquake | 1995 | |
$148[5] | $176.4 | 87587 | 2008 Sichuan earthquake | Earthquake | 2008 | |
$125[6] | $164.9 | 1245 – 1836 | Hurricane Katrina | Tropical cyclone | 2005 | |
$125[6] | $129.5 | 107 | Hurricane Harvey | Tropical cyclone | 2017 | |
$91.6+[6] | $94.9+ | 3057 – 8498[7] | Hurricane Maria | Tropical cyclone | 2017 | North America ( |
$70[8] | $70 | 451 | 2019–20 Australian bushfire season | Wildfire | 2019 | |
$68.7[6] | $76.3 | 233 | Hurricane Sandy | Tropical cyclone | 2012 | North America ( |
$64.8[6] | $66.5 | 134 | Hurricane Irma | Tropical cyclone | 2017 | North America ( |
$60 – $100[9] | $69.7 – $116.1 | 11 | Deepwater Horizon oil spill | Contamination (Oil) | 2010 | |
$53.25[10] | $115.8 | 4800 – 17000 | 1988–89 North American drought | Drought | 1988 | |
$50 – $433[11] | $113 – ~$700 | 31 – 46 | Chernobyl disaster | Contamination (Radiation) | 1986 | |
$49.6 – $56.1[12] | $53.3 – $60.3 | 104 | 2012–13 North American drought | Drought | 2012 | |
$49[13] | $81 | 57 | 1994 Northridge earthquake | Earthquake | 1994 | |
$45.7[14] | $49.8 | 815 | 2011 Thailand floods | Flood | 2011 | |
$40[15] | $44.6 | 185 | 2011 Christchurch earthquake | Earthquake | 2011 | |
$38[6] | $43.3 | 214 | Hurricane Ike | Tropical cyclone | 2008 | North America ( |
$28[16][17] | $36.2 | 68 | 2004 Chūetsu earthquake | Earthquake | 2004 | |
$27.4[6] | $34.4 | 87 | Hurricane Wilma | Tropical cyclone | 2005 | North America ( |
$27.3[6] | $47.6 | 65 | Hurricane Andrew | Tropical cyclone | 1992 | |
$26.1[6] | $33.9 | 124 | Hurricane Ivan | Tropical cyclone | 2004 | North America ( |
$25.1[18] | $25.1 | 74 | Hurricane Michael | Tropical cyclone | 2018 | North America ( |
$24.0[12] | $24.5 | 103 | 2018 California wildfires | Wildfire | 2018 | |
$21.8 – $135[19] | $30.2 – $186.9 | 2996 | September 11 terrorist attacks | Terror attack | 2001 | |
$20.8[20] | 20.8 | 158 | 2020 China floods | Flood | 2020 | |
$19.2 | $24.6 | 110 | 2002 European floods | Flood | 2002 | Central Europe ( |
$18.5[6] | $23.2 | 97 – 125 | Hurricane Rita | Tropical cyclone | 2005 | |
$17.6[21] | $23.9 | 140 | Cyclones Lothar and Martin | European windstorm | 1999 | Western Europe ( |
$16.9[6] | $21.9 | 35 | Hurricane Charley | Tropical cyclone | 2004 | North America ( |
$15.8[22] | $17 | 27 | 2012 Northern Italy earthquakes | Earthquake | 2012 | |
$15.1[23][24] | $15.4 | 603 | Hurricane Matthew | Tropical cyclone | 2016 | North America ( |
$15 – $20[25] | $25.6 – $34.1 | 47 | Great Flood of 1993 | Flood | 1993 | |
$15.0[26] | $28.8 | 197 | Cyclones Daria, Vivian, and Wiebke | European windstorm | 1990 | Western Europe ( |
$15[1] | $19.4 | 230000 – 280000 | 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami | Earthquake, Tsunami | 2004 | Southeast Asia ( |
$14.2[6] | $15.5 | 58 | Hurricane Irene | Tropical cyclone | 2011 | North America ( |
$13.4[27] | 13.4 | 84-120 | Cyclone Amphan | Tropical cyclone | 2020 | |
$12.9[28] | $14.7 | 138366 | Cyclone Nargis | Tropical cyclone | 2008 | |
$12.7[29] | $13.2 | 130 | November 2015 Paris attacks | Terror attack | 2015 | |
$11.6 – $18.9[30] | $17 – $27.7 | 17118 – 17127 | 1999 İzmit earthquake | Earthquake | 1999 | |
$10.4[31] | $11 | 12 | Typhoon Fitow | Tropical cyclone | 2013 | |
$10.2[12] | $11.1 | 348 | 2011 Super Outbreak | Tornado | 2011 | |
$10 – $15[32] | $10 – $15 | 220+[33] | 2020 Beirut explosions | Explosion | 2020 | |
$10 – $15[34] | $10.3 – $15.4 | 13 | 2016 Louisiana floods | Flood | 2016 | |
$10[12] | $29.6 | 1700 – 10000 | 1980 United States heat wave | Drought | 1980 | |
$10[35] | $18 | 64 | Typhoon Mireille | Tropical cyclone | 1991 | |
$10[26] | $12.1 | 44 | Cyclone Kyrill | European windstorm | 2007 | Western Europe ( |
$10[12] | $11.3 | 16 | June 2008 Midwest floods | Flood | 2008 | |
$9.8[6][36][37][38] | $12.7 | 50 | Hurricane Frances | Tropical cyclone | 2004 | North America ( |
$9.5[6] | $18.7 | 60 | Hurricane Hugo | Tropical cyclone | 1989 | North America ( |
$9.5[39][40] | $9.7 | 2 | 2016 Fort McMurray Wildfire | Wildfire | 2016 | |
$9.4[6] | $14.1 | 604 | Hurricane Georges | Tropical cyclone | 1998 | North America ( |
$9.4[41] | $9.4 | 44 | October 2017 Northern California wildfires | Wildfire | 2017 | |
$9[42] | $11.7 | 28 | Typhoon Songda | Tropical cyclone | 2004 | |
$8.5[6] | $11.8 | 55 | Tropical Storm Allison | Tropical cyclone | 2001 | |
8.3[6] | $9.5 | 153 | Hurricane Gustav | Tropical cyclone | 2008 | North America ( |
$8.1[43] – $14[44] | $9.2 – $16 | 100000 – 220000 | 2010 Haiti earthquake | Earthquake | 2010 | |
$7.9[6] | $10.3 | 3035 | Hurricane Jeanne | Tropical cyclone | 2004 | North America ( |
$7.13[45] | $7.4 | 196 | Typhoon Rammasun | Tropical cyclone | 2014 | Southeast Asia ( |
$7[46] | $13.8 | 0 | Exxon Valdez oil spill | Contamination (Oil) | 1989 | North America ( |
$6.5[6] | $9.6 | 74 | Hurricane Floyd | Tropical cyclone | 1999 | North America ( |
$6.4[47] | $9.0 | 7 | Space Shuttle Columbia disaster | Space flight accident | 2003 | |
$6.2[48] | $6.2 | 630 | 2017 Iran–Iraq earthquake | Earthquake | 2017 | |
$6.2[49] | $7.1 | 789 | Typhoon Morakot | Tropical cyclone | 2009 | Southeast Asia ( |
$6.3[50] | $7.57 | 173 | Black Saturday bushfires | Wildfire | 2009 | |
$6.1[6] | $9.1 | 11374+ | Hurricane Mitch | Tropical cyclone | 1998 | North America ( |
$6.1[26] | $7 | 75 | Cyclone Xynthia | European windstorm | 2010 | Southeastern Europe ( |
$6.01[51] | $8.6 | 75 | Typhoon Prapiroon | Tropical cyclone | 2000 | Southeast Asia ( |
$6[26] | $7.01 | 26 | Cyclone Klaus | European windstorm | 2009 | Southeastern Europe ( |
$6[52] | $6.3 | 5 | 2013 Alberta floods | Flood | 2013 | |
$5.5[26] | $7.1 | 24 | Cyclone Gudrun | European windstorm | 2005 | North Europe ( |
$5.5[6] | $7.3 | 51 | Hurricane Isabel | Tropical cyclone | 2003 | |
$5[53] | $11.4 | 10000 – 35000 | 1985 Mexico City earthquake | Earthquake | 1985 | |
$5[54] | $7.9 | 284 – 590 | Typhoon Herb | Tropical cyclone | 1996 | |
$4.7[6] | $7.6 | 63 | Hurricane Opal | Tropical cyclone | 1995 | North America ( |
$4.6[55][56][57] | $4.8 | 6329 – 7403 | Typhoon Haiyan | Tropical cyclone | 2013 | Southeast Asia ( |
$4.4[58] | $5.2 | 78 | Cyclone Gonu | Tropical cyclone | 2007 | |
$4.2[59] | $4.4 | 123 | Hurricane Manuel | Tropical cyclone | 2013 | |
$4.1[12] | $5.8 | 42 | Tornado outbreak sequence of May 2003 | Tornado | 2003 | |
$4[26] | $8.8 | 22 | Great Storm of 1987 | European windstorm | 1987 | Western Europe ( |
$3.6[60] | $4.1 | 7 | Cyclone Yasi | Tropical cyclone | 2011 | |
$3.2[61] | $6.9 | 7[62] | Space Shuttle Challenger disaster | Space flight accident | 1986 | |
$3.1[6] | $5.4 | 6 | Hurricane Iniki | Tropical cyclone | 1992 | |
$3.0[6] | $6.2 | 318 | Hurricane Gilbert | Tropical cyclone | 1988 | North America ( |
$2.9[12] | $3.1 | 22 | June 2012 North American derecho | Severe storm | 2012 | |
$2.9[12] | $2.9 | 3 | 2019 Midwestern U.S. floods | Flood | 2019 | |
$2.8[63] | $3.1 | 158 | 2011 Joplin tornado | Tornado | 2011 | |
$2.68[64] | $3.7 | 29 | AZF chemical plant explosion | Explosion | 2001 | |
$2.5[12] | $2.5 | 8 | Tornado outbreak sequence of May 2019 | Tornado | 2019 | |
$2.5[12] | $2.5 | 2 | 2017 Montana wildfires | Drought, Wildfire | 2017 | |
$2.5[12] | $2.5 | 0 | 2017 Minneapolis hailstorm | Hailstorm | 2017 | |
$2.2[12] | $2.2 | 0 | 2017 Denver hailstorm | Hailstorm | 2017 | |
$2.1[12] | $2.1 | 0 | Tornado outbreak of March 6–7, 2017 | Tornado | 2017 | |
$2[65] | $2.2 | 33 | Costa Concordia disaster | Maritime disaster | 2012 | |
$2 – $4[66] | $2 – $4 | 370 | 2017 Central Mexico earthquake | Earthquake | 2017 | |
$1.4[67] | $1.4 | 44 | Cyclone Winston | Tropical cyclone | 2016 | |
$1.24 – $2[68] | $1.7 – $2.7 | 15 | Cedar Fire | Wildfire | 2003 | |
$1.1[69] | $3.8 | 0 | Three Mile Island accident | Contamination (Radiation) | 1979 | |
$1[70] | $2.3 | 22540 | Armero tragedy | Volcano | 1985 | |
$0.9[71] | $0.9 | 14 | 2016 Great Smoky Mountains wildfires | Wildfire | 2016 | |
$0.89[72] | $0.87 | 0 | 2020 Calgary hailstorm | Hailstorm | 2020 | |
$0.8 – $1.1[73] | $3.6 – $4.9 | 71 | Cyclone Tracy | Tropical cyclone | 1974 | |
$0.8 – $1.3[74] | $0.9 – $1.4 | 0 | 2014 Paris Hailstorm | Hailstorm | 2014 | |
$0.7[75] | $1.3 | 800 | 1991 Mount Pinatubo eruption | Volcano | 1991 | |
$0.7[76] | $0.8 | 1 | 2011 Slave Lake wildfire | Wildfire | 2011 | |
$0.5 | $0.6 | 13 | I-35W Mississippi River Bridge collapse | Structure failure | 2007 | |
$0.4 | $0.6 | 0 | Ariane 5 Flight 501 | Space flight accident | 1996 |
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